The top of the Spire finally "sparkled" into life for the first time last night. The top nine metres of the 120-metre Spire, on Dublin's O'Connell Street, began to shimmer at about 9 p.m. As dusk fell the 11,844 tiny holes around the top glistened and the permanent aviation light at its pinnacle shone with them for the first time.
A temporary red aviation light that had been clipped to the side of the structure was removed yesterday evening. The cleaner permanent white light, which has been in place since Wednesday, will now take over.
The Spire, now complete, will be officially unveiled - albeit over a year later than had originally been hoped - on Monday morning.
The Lord Mayor, Mr Dermot Lacey, will lead the ceremony with the burial of a "time capsule" six metres below the pavement at the foot of the spire.
Among the items being stored in the steel capsule are the front page from Thursday's Irish Times, a till receipt from the bar in the Shelbourne Hotel and a packet of 20 Major cigarettes.
A plaque will also be laid at the foot of the monument, and from Monday people will be able to walk right up and touch it.
Mr Michael O'Neill, project manager on the Spire, explained the lighting within the Spire consisted of nine metres of light emitting diodes in a spiral sequence around an aluminium core. "That is hanging inside the Spire and shines through the tiny holes." These were lit up on Thursday night and, according to Mr Brendan Moloney, manager of Radley Engineering in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, which built the Spire, "it looked absolutely beautiful".
"As the Spire moves slightly in the breeze the light shines out in a way that would make you think it was sparkling. It is a gorgeous thing to see," he said yesterday at the site.
Both the architectural lighting and the aviation light are photosensitive. They will gradually light up each evening as darkness falls, and turn gradually off again each morning as day breaks.
Mr O'Neill, who has been working exclusively on the Spire for the past year, said he would be very happy on Monday to see his efforts come to fruition.
"It's been a long haul but worth it. I think everyone will agree when they see it, especially at night. It really is really beautiful."
